In middle school or junior high, until the end of grade nine, students in Canada are required to take a PDR (Personal Development and Relationships) or Sex Ed. course. Within this course, students learn about several topics such as healthy eating, active living, personal safety and injury prevention, substance use and addictions, human development and sexual health, and there is always a large portion dedicated to bullying. These topics are all very helpful in the development of young people, though the school board has left out an important piece of the puzzle. The important piece that was left out of the curriculum is Mental Health and the illnesses, such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia, that can be involved. Mental health and mental illnesses are only slightly touched on within the program, but they are nowhere near discussed enough.
Transitioning from elementary to grade six or seven for most students is a big change, for females in particular. This area of development is most commonly known as puberty. It can cause a lot of confusion and bring along strange emotions to add. Knowing what is going on with your body is important, but the PDR or Sex Ed.
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People are uneducated on the true effects of mental illness and will see it as a sign of weakness. Bullying of “weaker” people is common in grade school and even after. By involving more information on mental health and the severity of mental illnesses into the education system, less bullying surrounding these topics will decrease. Confidence levels of young people will become higher as a result and they will have more motivation to help themselves. Seeking help requires knowledge of the help and strength and motivation to make a move towards getting the help and progressing from there. Bullying is an issue no one should ever have to face, especially if their mind is already a cause of harm emotionally or